Process for manufacturing lubricating oils



Patented Feb. 9, 1926- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN G. BLACK, OF DESTREH AN, LOUISIANA, AND JAMES W. WEIR, 0F FILLMORE,

. CALIEORNIA.

PROCESSFOR MANUFACTURING LUBBIGATING OIL S. I,

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that We, JOHN C. BLAoK, acitizen of the United States, residing at Destrehan, in the parish ofSaint Charles, State of Louisiana, and JAMES W. WEIR, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Fillmore, in the county of Ventura, State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in aProcess for Manufacturing Lubricating Oils, of which the following is aspecification. This i-fivention relates to the art of refining petroleumor petroleum distillates, or other hydrocarbons, and more specificallyto those petroleum products known as lubricating oils.

The *object of this invention is to facilitate treatment of the oil andto increase the yield of finished products, and to improve .thequalityof such finished products in its ,colorand other physicalcharacteristics, and ,{to eliminate certain steps in the treatmentof-the oils as heretofore practiced in the gmanufacture of lubricatingoils. l

. .Heretofore in the refining of lubricating oils, it was the custom totreat the oils with sulphuric acid, withdraw/the acid reaction products.as completely as practical, then neutralize the remaining acidreaction,

products with caustic soda solution orother neutralizing agent, and thenwashing out the remaining neutralizing agent or its' products withwater, after which it may be brightened by blowing it-with air. Afterthis treatment thecolor is not usually up to the standard desired andwill be further subjected to a decolorizing treatment either bypercolation or contact with fullers earth or other decolorizingsubstance to bring the finished product to the color desired.

. By our new and improved method we have discovered a procedure wherebyseveral of the foregoing individual steps may be eliminated, and moreparticularly the one of neutralization with caustic soda and thefollowing Step'of washing with water, and also the further step ofdecolorization as an independent operation as heretofore.

w 0111' rocedure in treating or refining lubricating 011 1s as follows:

The oil is first given an acid treatment,

preferably with sulphuric acid, in the manner usually employed;

the resultingsludge acid is then removed; the oil is then Applicationfiled October 19, 1922. Serial No. 595,660.

\in condition for final treatment which consists in admixing a finelydivided clay, fullers earth, montmorillonite, infusorial earth, silicagel, or similar substance, which may be'cither in a raw condition ortreated by any of the well known treating rocesses to increase theadsorbing surface of the sub stance; sufficient of theireagent asenumerated above is added to the oil to accomplish in one operation theneutralization and decolorizationof the oil with the consequentelimination of the neutralization step with caustic soda, the washingwith water, the brightening step, and also the decolorization bypercolation or contact as a separatestep. This procedure eliminates theexpensive caustic soda treatment and also the loss of yield of oil bythe soda wash and subsequent water wash. It also eliminates theroduction of oil soluble soda soaps detrimental in the best qualitylubricating oils. i.

We have further discoveredlthat tQ COm-- pletely neutralize the oil bythis method. that it is necessary to heat the oil with the admixedneutralizing anddecolorizing agent I to drive oi? the final acidreaction, products that are in the form of sul hur dioxide. Toaccomplish this, we heat tlie mixture, while under treatment, toat-least 180 F., but prefj erably above the boiling point of-j Theheating, we have discovered,-has a twofold function, first to drive,ache SO, products of reaction, and secondly,'to in;- crease thedecolorization action of the neutralizing and decolorizing reagentl-Furthermore, We have discovered that the S01 .gasto is beneficial in thedecolorization reaction that. it forms a. non-oxidizing atmospherecontact with the oil and prevents'darkening of the oil by oxidation. 7a,

After the neutralization and decoloriza 95. tion step is complete, theoil is separated from the neutralizing and decolorizin re .agent by anyof the well known metho s of separation of a liquid and a finely divided.mineral substance; the separation may be made while the oil is heated,or it may be made. after cooling or during cooling. The cooling of theoil should preferably be performed in a closed cooling apparatus fromwhich air is excluded to prevent oxidation and darkening of the oil. Ifit is found that the finished oil is cloud? due o moisture, it may beremoved by only an or gas being undersaturated that which could he madeby the process of I Black and Weir under their joint spec fica-- tion.Where under the \Veir process as patented he uses 5,009 gallons of oilto one ton of clay and produces a neutralized oil of neutral and thetated treated hydrocarbons aneutralizingand de b sulficient quantitestowould be produced 3 color- (N. P. A.). which is the color obtained bythe .acid alone, under the process of the joint application of Black andTVeir 2,500 gallons of oil to one ton of clay would be used and an oilof about 3 color (N. P. A1.) if a decolorizing clay wereused. This 3color oil would be an oil materially lighter in color and have a highermarket value.

To summarize and make clear our preferred method of operation, we willoutline the procedure as follows:

The oil is first treated with sulphuric acid;

the sludge acid is allowed to settle, and is withdrawn or separated fromthe oil; the

oil is then admixed.v withv the neutralizing d and decolorizing reagentand the mixture heated to 180 F. or higher until the oil is properdiscolorization obtalned; the mixture is then discharged through afilter and cooled and finally discharged to storage. The filtering andcoolmg steps may be reversed, but we prefer to filter then cool, as wefind this facilitates the operation. If the oil is cloudy, it may bebrightened as previously described.

e claim: i

1. A method of refining hydrocarbons consisting in treating thehydrocarbons with sulphuric acid; withdrawing the precipiacid' reactionproducts, adding to the colorizing reagent in 'decolorizethehydrocarbonsand heating the mixture, then separating the hydrocarbons and admixedreagent.

2. A method of refining hydrocarbons consisting in treating thehydrocarbons with 'sulphuric" acid, withdrawing the precipitatedacid're'action products, addingto the treated hydrocarbons aneutralizing and decolorizing reagent in sufficient quantities todecolori..e thehydrocarbons and heating the mixture to above 180 F.,then separating the hydrocarbons and admixed reagent. 3. A method ofrefining hydrocarbons consisting in treating the hydrocarbons withsulphuric acid, withdrawing the precipitated acid reaction products,adding to the treated hydrocarbons a neutralizing and decolorizingreagent in sufiicient quantities to decolorize the hydrocarbons andheating the mixture, and while heated separating the hydrocarbons andadmixed reagent,

then cooling the hydrocarbons. v

4. AjmethodQof refining hydrocarbons consisting in treating thehydrocarbons with sulphuric acid. withdrawing the precipitated acidreaction products, adding to the treated decolorizing reagent insufficient quantities to decolorize the hydrocarbons and heating themixture to above 180 F., separating the hydrocarbons and admiredreagent, then cooling the hydrocarbons to materially less than 180 F.

5. A method of refining hydrocarbons hydrocarbons a neutralizing andconsisting in treating hydrocarbons with sulphuric acid, withdrawing theprecipitated acid reaction products, adding to the treating hydrocarbonsneutralizing and decolorizing reagents in sufficient quantities todecolorize the hydrocarbons and heating the mixture,-then filtering-thehydrocarbons to separate the admixed reagent.

6. A method of refining hydrocarbons consisting in treating thehydrocarbons with sulphuric acid, withdrawing the precipitated acidreaction products, adding to the treated hydrocarbons, neutralizing andecolorizing reagents in suflicient quantities to decolorize thehydrocarbons and simultaneously heating the mixture to approxiniatelyabove 180 F., then cooling the mixture below 180 F. and separating thehydrocarbons and admixed reagent then 0001-.

ing the hydrocarbons.

7. A method of refining hydrocarbons consisting in treating, thehydrocarbons with sulphuric acid, withdrawing the pre- I cipitated acidreaction-products, adding tothe treated hydrocarbons, neutralizinganddecolorizing reagents in suflicient quantities to decolorize thehydrocarbons and heating the mixture, separati and admixed reagentf ienbrightening by lowing a gas through'them.

8. A method of refining hydrocarbons consisting in treating thehydrocarbons with a sulphuric acid, withdrawing the precipitated acidreaction products, adding to the treated hydrocarbons neutralizing anddecolorizin'g reagents in sufiicient quantities to decolorize thehydrocarbons and heating the mixture to above 180, separating thehydrocarbonsand admixed reagent, cooling the hydrocarbons to materiallyless than 180 F., then brightening them.

izing hydrocarbon containing acid reaction products consisting in-firstwithdrawing the acid reaction products then adding neutralprocess ofneutralizing and decolorthe hydrocarbons izing and decolorizingreagents, in sufficient quantities to neutralize and decolorize thehydrocarbon, then heating the mixture of hydrocarbon, acid reactionproducts and neutralizing and decolorizing reagents to an activereaction temperature, then separating the admixed reagents together withthe reaction productsfrom the decolorized 5 hydrocarbon. 1

10. The method of refining hydrocarbons containing acid reactionproducts which comprises first removing the said re action products,then adding a comminuted decolorlzing agent to the hydrocarbons insufiicient quantities. to both neutralize and de-' colorize thehydrocarbons, heating the mixture to above 180 Fahrenheit, and separating the adsorbent material with the materials adsorbed thereon from theoil stock.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification.

JOHN o. BLACK. JAMES w. WEIR.

